Portret van een staande jongen, naast een tafel met een hond 1895 - 1920

Carl Sandels made this photograph of a boy and his dog sometime between 1845 and 1919, but knowing the clothing styles I'd guess later rather than sooner. You can tell this wasn't a quick snap; Sandels has really staged the scene carefully. I'm thinking about Sandels setting up his equipment, getting the lighting just so, and then trying to get the boy and his dog to sit still for the shot. The boy looks a little stiff, but the dog's got this great attentive look like, 'Okay, I'm ready for my close-up!' Maybe the dog knew instinctively to work with the camera... The muted tones of the photo give it this timeless quality, but you can still feel the texture of the dog's fur and the boy's wool suit. The ornate table gives it a touch of formality, but the real connection here is between the boy and his furry pal. It’s like Sandels was trying to capture not just their image, but the bond between them.